BIOGRAPHY

Signore was born in Harlem, Manhattan, New York City, USA, on 31 July 1912, to Italian parents, Theodore Signore and Mary D’Angelo. She had four siblings: twin brothers Claude and Frank (1919–2014), Daniel, and Katherine Caroli. At the age of 12, she moved to the Bronx. She attended Richmond High School.

Signore worked as an administrative assistant for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), a public benefit corporation responsible for public transportation in the New York City metropolitan area. She retired in 1977, aged 65.

Her mother lived to be 97, and her three brothers all passed away in their mid-90s. Her father died at 79. Her younger sister was 102 as of July 2019.

On 2 April 2016, at the age of 103, she survived a robbery in her apartment building, where her attacker knocked her to the ground and stole $35, two meals, a magnifying glass, and a pack of bingo cards.

Signore attributed her longevity to several factors, one of which was a lifetime of physical activity. She began swimming every summer at the age of nine. As an adult, she walked wherever possible and intensified her exercise regimen after retiring. When her mother moved to Florida, she began spending winters there with her, playing bocce every morning, and swimming and biking all afternoon. In the evenings, she enjoyed line dancing. Even in her 90s, she swam daily at Orchard Beach in the Bronx. Since her youth, she developed healthy habits. Over the years, arthritis, hearing loss, and poor eyesight forced her to abandon outdoor sports, but she continued exercising even as a centenarian. She also credited her longevity to always being conscious of her diet.

At the age of 107, she received a significant amount of national media coverage for her claim how not getting married played a part in her longevity.

At the age of 107, she received a significant amount of national media coverage for her claim how not getting married played a part in her longevity.

RECOGNITION

Her age was validated by LongeviQuest on 15 July 2023.

Signore is currently the second-oldest living person in the U.S. state of New York, after Rose Girone.

ATTRIBUTION

* Frank Signore Obituary – Legacy (The Journal News), 25 February 2014

* “103-year-old woman refuses to be afraid after brutal mugging” – New York Post, 3 April 2016

* “A 106-year-old’s secret to longevity: Being single” – New York Post, 1 August 2018

* “New York woman turns 107-years-old and reveals the secrets to a long life: ‘Good Italian food, no soda or cake and never getting married’” – Daily Mail, 1 August 2019

* “Woman turns 107, shares her secret to longevity: ‘I never got married’ ” – ABC7, 1 August 2019

* “110-year-old Bronx woman receives first surgery of her life” – News12 Bronx, 30 March 2023

* “New York’s oldest person turns 112 — and shares secret to her longevity: ‘That’s why I’m living’ ” – New York Post, 2 August 2023

GALLERY